HILLSBOROUGH CO., Fla. — A Hillsborough County high school teacher pleaded guilty in connection with gun running for a transnational criminal organization in Florida, the Department of Justice announced on Monday.
According to a plea agreement in 2020 and 2021, 46-year-old Shannon Lee Samlalsingh of Tampa purchased several assault rifles, magazine clips, and other firearm components from federally licensed firearms dealers in Hillsborough County and Miami-Dade County. Samlalsingh falsely stated on submitted federal forms that she was the buyer of said firearms while she was receiving money via international wire transfers from members of a Trinidadian transnational criminal organization.
Officials said Samlalsingh received instructions from the criminal enterprise to purchase specific model firearms and firearms components, then transfer them to other members of the organization already in Florida, to then smuggle them back to Trinidad. Officials also said Samlalsingh kept a percentage of the wire transfer funds as compensation, and the firearms were smuggled back in a large wireless speaker and punching bags headed to Trinidad and Tobago.
Samlalsingh pleaded guilty to conspiracy to making false statements to a firearms dealer on Friday, according to officials. She faces up to five years in federal prison.
Her sentencing date has not yet been set.
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
